Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-03

a life such as yours must be henceforth. in
exile and far from her mothers grave.
Roger, leave her with us. We love her well;
as well as you, and 1t seems to me that it is
your duty
"Uncle, hear mel am, as you say, a dis
graced and hunted man, condemned limo
Gently to exile from my country. / have
nothing but this child. She is everything to
me- need her, otherwise my heart will
break. Listen to me and hear the true story
OF this crime for which am unjustly pun
ished. have never told 1t before, and would
not now, only that you may feel that / am
not entirely unworthy the consolation of my
child
And then he told them all, reserving moth
ing except the name Of Julia; and they heard
and believed him truly, and said no more
against his right to take Suzanne, though
their poor Old hearts bled.
1But the guilty one. Have you ever
thought it was that womanr
ayes, but / cannot believe she did It, Had
she lover who gave her the money? Was
it for vengeancei / am lost In conjecture.
But shall never give up my intention to
clear up this crime"
Long they talked Of the past, of poor Henri
ette, whose body they found in the river,
though unacceptable, and whom they
buried piously in the little ehurchyard at
Vile d,Avray, of the machine works which
the good old Bernardo still managed for Su-
cannes sake. Then he gave Roger what
money he had, which was some *, 900 francs,
which was the profits Of the past year and q
half, and suit Of his own clothes. When
all this was done 1t was nearly o'clock
Roger said:
u must go from here at on the train, and
1t viii be necessary to rouse Suzanne and get
her dressed"
With heavy hearts the old couple reused
and dressed the child and wrapped her in a
warm fur cloak and hood and pulled thick
wooden stockings over her shoes that she
might not be cold. A small bundle OF neces-
saries for Suzanne was made up, and then
the time had come for them to CO. The old
aunt wept these hard wrung tears of the
aged as she wrapped the little child she loved
SO tenderly, and then they opened the door.
The weather had changed and the snow was
falling in great fakes, obscuring the road
and rendering 1t almost impossible to see a
yard in advance
"Roger,n said the old man, Il forgot to
H.
has never seemed to remember that dreadful
experience She thinks that you and her
mother are travelling. / would not try to
awaken her memory. She win he happier
50. think God had pity upon her youth and
tenderness and so yelled her memory
"God grant It," said Laroque. II wish
also might forget"
Suzanne had not aroused enough to know
anything that was taking place, or that she
was being dressed for voyage. But at last
she opened her eyes.
as it morningg' said she drowsily.
"No, precious one," said the old lady. at
is In the middle Of the night, but we had to
take you up to tell some good news"
as it Christmasr
"No, darling, but your dear papa, who has
been away so long, has come home.n
A nervous tremor passed through the deli
cate frame Of the child, and she took on sud
denly that same look she had worn during
those terrible days, but she said nothing, and
the three anxious persons around her did not
notice BY and by she said slowly:
"Father has comet Where is he, then?a
Then Roger stepped forward and took her
in his arms and covered her with kisses, and
he did not notice that she did not kiss him.
Then he asked:
"Are you glad to see me, my child"
ayes, father
ave will not be parted again. We are go
ing away together"
"Going away9 Going to leave Val Dieu and
good uncle and aunt! Father, why cannot
you stay herer'
@For reasons which you cannot understand,
my darling"
Il am very sorry to leave here, father. but
we viii 60"
"She has entirely forgotten" said be, thank
fully, to himself
AT last Suzanne, muffled up to the eyes, was
ready, and the old aunt, with tears streaming
down her withered cheeks, said:
"Go, my child, my darling. am too old to
hope to ever see you again. Take, then, my
last kiss, and may God guard you and guide
you'll"
Then the uncle kissed the pale little face,
and his heart swelled with grief, but he tried
to bear up.
"My precious baby said he, Hyour father
needs you, and you must go. He will do all
he can to make you happy. Do the same for
him. If you ever come back to France, come
home here, where you are our own child
God bless you. Roger, write to us, and let us
know how she is, and send her photograph il
you can, and as often as you want money
send for it."
"Good aunt and uncle, I viii never forget
you, and will love you forever said the
child.
Then Roger took her in his arms and went
out into the tempest Of snow and icy wind,
and in twenty minutes more they were speed
ing away toward the frontier, while the two
desolate old people wept in their deserted
home